


Kidnapping Day

by navaan



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Ambushes and Sneak Attacks, Banter, Complicated Relationships, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Making Up, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Pining, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Surprise Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 16:45:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15514155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/navaan/pseuds/navaan
Summary: Tony goes out for a jog and he doesn’t expect anyone to make a move on him





	Kidnapping Day

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [cap-ironman Bingo card prompt “Dark Alley”](https://navaan.dreamwidth.org/592212.html)

Sometimes putting on a tracksuit and going for a jog is all it takes to not be recognized. He doesn't even put up the hood on a hot day like today. But people seem to be fooled by the sunglasses - even though they are part of his trademark outfits too. People give him a glance and maybe wonder for less than a moment: _Was that Iron Man? Nah. What would he be doing here right next to me? Must be busy avenging._

It works well sometimes - right until it doesn't anymore.

Today it seems to do the trick.

He picks up a coffee at his favorite coffee shop not far away from the new city apartment that he rarely uses, because he prefers the Compound these days. Pepper has moved back to LA after all and he's on his own. This time for good it seems. People keep walking out on him the more he tries to be better.

Like Steve has.

He pushes the thought away. He was very much done with that.

Taking slow sips of his coffee is all he wants to focus on right now and he does. The focusing works so well that he doesn't pay attention to where he's going or what turns he takes. Running hasn't done the trick. Maybe he needs to walk this off. Coffee is helping already.

He thinks of coffee and walking, then strolls past a dark alley and someone grabs his arm hard and drags him off the sidewalk and into the alley. Momentarily he's too confused to fight; his coffee nearly goes flying.

The attacker doesn't loosen their grip on him but catches the coffee cup, which is such a stupid thing to do for any smart attacker and Tony’s eyes follow the paper cup. But things move too fast and he’s pushed face forward into a wall - not hard this time. But the grip on his arm doesn’t let up.

"Pall, this is not a good idea. Do you know who I am…?" The nanites are ready to bring out the armor, and somehow the smart thing to do would be to call it up. He lets it slowly crawl around his back and chest first.

“No need for that, Tony.” Then he's whirled around and pushed against the wall, vaguely aware that the coffee cup is held to the left of his face and somehow the thing he registers is the coffee shop logo in brown and white on the paper cup instead of the voice or even the face of his attacker.

Then he's kissed.

Hard.

He pushes his hands up and tries to get free, but this is familiar. Even if the hair falling into his eyes is too long and a little darker than he remembers.

Panic subsides, changes, surges up again with another kind of fear. 

Oh no, he’s not ready for this. Why is Steve here?

Steve lets him pull out of the kiss, but doesn't let him move away.

"I want my coffee back," he states. It's a reasonable thing to say, in his opinion.

"In a moment," Steve says calmly.

"What's this then? Kidnapping? I don't remember calling. Why are you here."

"You didn't call," Steve agrees. "You and Pepper aren't getting married. I thought..."

"None of your business," he says although the silent treatment would be smarter. He's bristling though. Who does he think he is? Captain America? Swooping in to fill the void?

"My business," Steve disagrees and kisses him again, briefly, because Tony pushes him back. "I was devastated, you idiot. I missed you and..."

Tony has a thousand insults at the tip of his tongue. What he says instead is: "This is a bad idea." And that echoes the words Steve once spoke to him after the world’s very own wholesome super soldier had kissed Tony for the very first time in the cockpit of the Quinjet. _Sorry, this is a bad idea. It would be a mistake… I’m sorry Tony._

"Yes," Steve agreed now too. "But sometimes you have to go with those."

Tony's angry. Is he a bad idea? Is it suddenly okay for Steve to make bad calls, while Tony's get dissected at every turn? Tony hates double standards. He's about to say something angry, but he notices Steve's beard and somehow what comes out of his mouth is: "You seem to be having lots of those recently."

He touches the beard despite himself and melts maybe a little at the sad look in Steve's eyes.

"Sorry," Steve says. "I didn't want to... This was... I shouldn't have."

"A mistake, yes. Don't apologize _now_ ," Tony spits, but he's only four parts anger and at least two parts longing. "Best you don't talk at all. Ever."

Steve's face falls.

"Kissing," Tony says, because it’s _his job_ to go with the terrible ideas, "seems to be more your thing. If you don't run out after and tell me how much of a mistake I am, thanks."

"You're not. I'm sorry. I was..."

"An idiot. Still are. I’m too. Kissing," Tony says and it's an order. “No apologies, you have no idea how bad you’re at those. Kissing, no talking at all. Then you can return my coffee and I won’t call the cops.”

“What if after I decide this is a kidnapping after all?”

“Well,” Tony says and he feels a little lighter - maybe he's only three parts anger now, two parts longing and one part hopeful confusion, “let’s hope you’re better at them than you are at apologies.”

Steve kisses him again, hard but not aggressively. Even Tony can tell that Steve just wants to make sure this is real, that Tony's here, that this is happening. All of it - the consideration forgotten in the sudden passion, the beard, the setting, the lingering tension - is a damn turn on.

Maybe the part of him that makes up the hopeful confusion likes that.

 _Idiot_.

Steve pulls away. “Let's find out then.” It’s a statement and Tony’s kiss addled brain doesn’t catch up until Steve starts pulling Tony along by the elbow.

Tony doesn't mind all that much at this point, but says: “My coffee.”

“When you've been a good hostage.”

“Then it'll be cold,” he complains and with a roll of his eyes, Steve finally hands back the paper cup, so he can take a sip. Tony can't even be annoyed about Steve's obvious annoyance. “So after everything, when someone doesn’t call you…?” he starts.

Steve’s still pulling him along, back into the crowds, not stopping, not disclosing where they’re going. He spares Tony a glance over his shoulder and says: “Hostages don’t get to ask questions, do they?”

“I’m not an expert,” Tony shoots back. Although out of the two of them he might be the one with more actual experience in that area. 

Steve grins. “I’ll make it up as I go along then.”

“That’s very… us.”

He doesn’t mean it in a bad way, but Steve turns away, expression tight. He doesn’t stop though.

“It is,” Steve agrees. 

But Steve – looking untidy and strange with the beard and longer hair – isn't deterred. He takes him by the hand and pulls him along. Tony lets it happen although he’s not entirely sure how he feels about any of this. One thing he’s sure about: He’s not ready for this. 

“So, this kidnapping started here. And we’ll continue it in that Italian Deli down the street you like.”

“That’s… new. What then? We talk, we argue?”

“We talk. If it goes well I’ll take you home and kiss you good-bye.”

His mouth opens and closes. He’s got nothing. In the last months, he’s had a thousand conversations with Steve in his head and not one started like this one. Kissing. In an alley. But as far as kidnappings go, this one at least is off to a promising start. 

Steve just grins at his flabbergasted expression, enjoying that he made Tony speechless, finally looking less sad.

And Tony for the moment is glad enough to feel his hand in Steve’s, no anger pooling in his stomach. He’s interested in how well that'll go. It’s an experiment. They never just went out like this when they were both Avengers. So one of them being a fugitive is as good as any a time to figure out how this can work.

If it can work.

If anything can work after the wounds they’ve dealt each other. He thinks of his time in India, about all the grief counseling and decides to let himself go with the flow. Whatever happens next - at least in the back of his mind Tony can admit how much he has missed Steve.

“You’re the kidnapper,” Tony says finally. “You call the shots.”

Steve laughs.

It’s a nice sound and Tony missed it.

So he joins in, laughs, relaxes slightly.

Their hands never let go. They don’t let go when they start walking again, side by side.

It’s still a bad idea.

But already the best kidnapping of his life.

**Author's Note:**

> You can follow me for fic updates on [tumblr](https://navaanwrites.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/navaanwrites). This fic has a post on the tumblr [here](https://navaanwrites.tumblr.com/post/176493810519/kidnapping-day-navaan-the-avengers-marvel) in case you want to share it. It also has a page on my [Dreamwidth](https://navaan.dreamwidth.org/618464.html).


End file.
